Russian attacks on Ukraine kill three; Zelenskiy upbeat on talks with US envoys

KYIV — Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region killed three people, including a pregnant woman, Ukrainian officials said Tuesday, as cross-border attacks continued to intensify alongside stalled peace efforts.

Regional prosecutors said an overnight missile strike hit the town of Chuhuiv in the Kharkiv region, killing a 22-year-old pregnant woman and two other people. The attack also damaged residential buildings, garages, and shops, leaving at least six others injured.

In the regional capital of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, a separate Russian drone strike injured multiple civilians, with officials reporting that 16 people sought medical assistance. Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said emergency crews responded to fires and damaged infrastructure, sharing images of burning buildings and destroyed vehicles.

The latest strikes come amid continued escalation in the war, now in its fifth year, as Ukraine increases long-range drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, including facilities linked to fuel supplies in occupied territories.

In Russia-annexed Crimea, authorities said air defense systems were repelling a drone attack over the port city of Sevastopol, home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Local Russian-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev confirmed the incident on Telegram. The reports could not be independently verified.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had a “positive” phone conversation with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, expressing hope that diplomatic efforts could advance toward ending the war in the coming weeks.

Zelenskiy has recently stepped up calls for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, including an open letter proposing face-to-face negotiations. However, the proposal was quickly rejected by Moscow.

“There are different people around Putin. Half of them want to continue this war and the other half want to stop it,” Zelenskiy said in an interview with The Guardian, adding that Russia’s economic pressures could influence internal views on the conflict.

Putin, speaking last week at a business forum in St. Petersburg, said Ukrainian strikes had caused damage but insisted they posed no serious threat to Russia’s economy.

The developments come as Zelenskiy returned from talks in London with the leaders of Britain, France, and Germany, who signaled readiness to support potential ceasefire negotiations.

U.S.-led peace efforts between Ukraine and Russia have slowed in recent months, with Washington focusing on other global conflicts. However, discussions continue regarding a possible visit to Kyiv by Witkoff and Kushner, which would be their first official trip to Ukraine as envoys.

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen told the United Nations Security Council that Nordic countries support an immediate ceasefire and direct talks between Ukraine and Russia.

Zelenskiy also confirmed meeting Russian businessman Roman Abramovich in Kyiv, saying he was willing to receive messages aimed at opening diplomatic channels. A Ukrainian official said the meeting followed earlier attempts to relay communication to the Kremlin.

Ukraine has repeatedly stated it will not give up its territory as part of any peace agreement, maintaining that sovereignty remains non-negotiable.

Reuters reported that it could not independently verify battlefield claims from either side. -Reporting by Jekaterīna Golubkova in Tokyo and Anna Pruchnicka in Gdansk; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Edwina Gibbs/Reuters